Don’t Call Ahead! Make These 11 Chinese Takeout Favorites at Home

Stephanie Manley

2 weeks ago

Photo: copykat.com

When craving something sweet, salty and delicious for dinner, Chinese takeout often tops the list for satisfying the palate. But takeout can put a dent in your wallet or use questionable ingredients, like MSG or lower-quality meats, and many menu items are too oily or sugary to justify eating them regularly.

The good news is that most Chinese takeout dishes are easy to recreate at home, so you can control how much of each ingredient goes in. The secret to cooking amazing Asian food is a well-stocked pantry with a variety of sauces, like soy and hoisin, cooking vinegar and wine, sesame oil, cornstarch, and aromatics like ginger, chilies and garlic. Click through this recipe roundup to find the dish that will quell the urge to order takeout again—and save yourself some money and calories in the process!

Chinese Spareribs

These stunning Chinese-style spareribs are unbelievably easy to make with a few key ingredients. Just prepare the sauce, marinate and bake! Find the recipe here.

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Better-Than-Takeout Orange Chicken

Full of flavor, these light and crispy pieces of chicken are finished with a sweet orange sauce that has just the right amount of heat. Find out how to make this dish here.

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Shrimp & Bacon Fried Rice

Shrimp and bacon make a great combination in many cooking applications, and they make this fried rice recipe irresistible! Click here to see this recipe and find out the secret step to achieving true restaurant-quality fried rice.

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Pei Wei Mongolian Beef

Tender, crispy beef pairs with a sweet-tangy sauce that's full of depth and mushrooms to recreate a Pei Wei restaurant favorite. This recipe begins with some simple techniques to achieve incredibly tender beef. Find out how it's done here.

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Kung Pao Chicken

A healthier takeout option, kung pao chicken is stir-fried chicken with vegetables and a sauce that is not too sweet. Find the recipe here.

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Beef and Mushroom Black Pepper Stir-Fry

Ready in 30 minutes, this beef and mushroom stir-fry delivers on both flavor and ease. Swap out the beef for chicken or shrimp, if you like. See the recipe here.

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Lemon Chicken

Bright lemon and ginger flavors are combined in a sauce that coats lightly breaded chicken to create a fresh spin on Chinese takeout. See how to make the recipe here.

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Easy Chicken Lo Mein

Elevate takeout lo mein by topping the noodles with hoisin grilled chicken. The noodles have all of the elements of a good Chinese noodle dish, and the chicken, with its smoky grill flavors, makes the dish pop. Find the recipe here.

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Cashew Chicken

A Chinese takeout staple, this cashew chicken comes together quickly and tastes spot-on. Satisfy your craving with the recipe here.

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Sweet-and-Sour Chicken

To make restaurant-style sweet-and-sour chicken, you have to master two elements: the batter and the sauce. This detailed recipe helps you to create perfect chicken, and the homemade sauce is amazing and fresh—way, way better than anything that comes out of a jar! See how to make the recipe here.

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Sesame Chicken

Another takeout favorite, sesame chicken needs a good sesame-flavored sauce and is best served with broccoli. See how to recreate the dish here.